Javascript inDesign

You designed an InDesign document, using a number of images, and you want to replace those image links with new source files whose names differ from the previous following a predictable pattern. This script will enable you to use InDesign's "Find/Change" dialog box to replace those links.

Javascript inDesign

You designed a page layout, a Photoshop photomontage or an imposition, using a provided document (ai/pdf or indd document, jpg/tiff/psd image, etc.) and now you are asked without any explanation to update (or redo) your work with a new version of the source document sent back to you, of course you will obey but you are too curious and you would like to detect what really are the differences between the previous and the new file.

Script inDesign

When you place a graphic (pdf or indd page, jpg/tif/psd/png image) you can set a number of options in the import options dialog. Once the file is placed, some options can be modified (object layer options for pdf/indd/psd, photoshop clipping path selection…) but some others parameters set in the import options dialog box are frozen (imported page number, "crop to" option for pdf/indd pages, profile and rendering intent for RGB images), unless you browse back to the file to place it again.

Script inDesign

You have a text frame of a given width (for example 277 mm) and you want to split it to several columns (of equal width) separated by gutters, you can do it easily in the "Text Frame Options" dialog.

  • If you want 2, 4, 5 or 8 columns, you will easily get column and gutter widths multiples of 0.25 or 0.1 by selecting "Columns: Fixed Number", by changing the "Number" and "Gutter" fields without touching the "Width" field (ex: 5 columns, gutters 4 mm → width 52.2 mm).
  • But for other numbers of columns such as 3, 6, 7, 9, 11… You will get unpleasant values (ex: 7 columns, gutters 4 mm → width 36.143 mm).

This script will enable you in the second case to find simpler values: you select your text frame and launch the script, and it will suggest you all possible column and gutter widths multiples of a given increment (by default, the cursor key increment of your document view preferences). This enables you to discover round values you'd never thought about: for example you can split your 277 mm text frame to seven 37 mm columns separated by 3 mm gutters.

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An original idea from Loic Aigon, designed by Eddy.VH. It 's a scripts library for Desktop Publishing Adobe products. Find Javascript for Photoshop, Illustrator, inDesign and Acrobat or ATN scripts ( Photoshop actions ) you need.